Kenyan Traders Handed Major Boost as Trump Extends AGOA to 2028

Kenyan Traders Handed Major Boost as Trump Extends AGOA to 2028

Kenyan exporters have received a major boost after United States President Donald Trump signed legislation extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until December 31, 2028.

The two-year extension, signed on Friday, September 4, provides Kenyan businesses with additional certainty over access to the lucrative US market and allows eligible exports to continue entering the country duty-free.

The Kenyan government welcomed the decision, saying it would provide relief to exporters and thousands of workers whose livelihoods depend on preferential access to the American market.

Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said the extension was particularly important for Kenya’s textile and apparel industry, which has become one of the country’s key export sectors under AGOA.

The sector supports more than 66,000 direct jobs, according to the government.

“The decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to sign into law the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through December 31, 2028, is highly welcome.”

The extension was included in the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, a wider federal spending package passed by the US Congress.

The development comes after months of uncertainty over the future of AGOA, a trade programme that has provided eligible sub-Saharan African countries with preferential access to the US market since 2000.

AGOA allows qualifying products from participating African countries to enter the United States without customs duties, giving exporters a competitive advantage in one of the world’s largest consumer markets.

For Kenyan manufacturers, the latest extension is particularly significant because the programme has played an important role in supporting the country’s apparel exports.

Kenya’s export processing zones have also benefited from the preferential arrangement, with apparel manufacturers supplying the US market and creating employment opportunities locally.

The future of AGOA had remained uncertain after the programme expired in September 2025.

President Trump subsequently signed a temporary one-year extension in February 2026, giving African exporters additional time while the US considered the programme’s future.

The latest two-year extension now provides a longer period of certainty for businesses planning investments, production and export contracts.

The decision also comes amid debate in Washington over the countries that should benefit from AGOA.

Some US lawmakers had pushed for South Africa to be excluded from the arrangement, reflecting broader discussions about the future structure and conditions of the trade programme.

For Kenya, however, the extension provides an opportunity to strengthen its position in the US market.

Kinyanjui said the country should not rely solely on apparel exports but use the additional period to expand the range of products it sells to American consumers.

“Beyond apparel, our focus must now be on using this extended window to expand Kenya’s export basket and increase the range and value of products reaching the U.S. market.”

The government is expected to encourage exporters to explore opportunities in other sectors, including agricultural products, processed foods and manufactured goods that can meet US market requirements.

The extension could also give Kenyan businesses more time to develop new products, secure buyers and improve production capacity.

Trade officials have previously emphasised the need to diversify Kenya’s exports to reduce dependence on a limited number of products and markets.

The continued access to the US market is therefore likely to remain an important part of Kenya’s wider export strategy.

For thousands of Kenyan workers employed directly and indirectly in export-oriented industries, the extension offers additional certainty as businesses plan their operations.

The government will now face the task of ensuring Kenyan exporters make maximum use of the two-year window before AGOA’s new expiry date in December 2028.

The latest development gives Kenyan traders a reprieve, but officials say the focus must now shift toward expanding exports and making the country’s access to the US market more valuable in the long term.

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Kenyan Traders Handed Major Boost as Trump Extends AGOA to 2028